Mother Earth: Land and Soul as One Central Asia’s largest country, Kazakhstan, stretches nearly 2,000 miles from China to the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan's geography includes the snow-covered Tien Shan, the northernmost range of the Himalayas also called Celestial Mountains, the Altai Mountains with fabled Shambala at Mt. Belukha, and the Ustyurt Plateau, and vast Steppes carpeted with feathergrasses. Kazakhstan's landscape is dotted with lakes, meadows of wildflowers, verdant river valleys, multitudes of birds and mammals including golden eagles, snow leopards, and famous rivers as SyrDarya, Ili and Ertis. Caspian Sea is the source of Beluga Caviar and the Aral Sea one of the world’s worst ecological disasters. Horses were first domesticated and the apple cultivated here. The tulip was transported on the Silk Road from Kazakhstan to Europe. Since ancient times Nomads with their horses, sheep and camels have inhabited this land. Astana is the capital and Almaty its major commercial city.